Thursday, 30 May 2013

MAC Quite the Thing, I'm not even sure what drew me to this shade. I was in MAC after a new lipstick, something a bit bolder than my usual nude pink and one of the sales assistants suggested this, it's a purple toned fuchsia pink and was once completely out of my comfort zone. When I got it home I wondered if I'd make the wrong choice and was just swept away by the assistants charm. Now however it's probably the most worn shade in my collection and I don't regret picking it up for one second.

Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose, I love both the formula and the shade. Whilst only a lip balm product, the colour stays on pretty well and of course nourishes the lips whilst doing so. It's easy to just stick on the lips to add a quick pick me up to your make-up, it's a lovely bold red shade which appears quite sheer on the lips so I imagine it'd be wearable for all skin tones. On me I love this with a simple winged liner and soft pink cheeks on a day to day basis, it's especially great as a simple work make-up look.

Model's Prefer in Sheer Rose, this is an oldie but a firm favourite as you can probably tell from the packaging. As the name suggests it's a sheer rose pink and the best pink I've ever owned, sadly I think it's now discontinued but I'll save the search till this baby is finished. This lipstick also has a gorgeous soft gold shimmer to it, it's hardly noticeable when on the lips but just adds an extra shine to the finish of the lipstick. It's a shade which goes with any make-up look and can be worn for any occasion, which makes this a great go to lipstick.

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

I'm a bit of a slacker with perfume, I usually only remember to pop it on when I'm off out for the evening, it's probably down to the fact I tend to keep my bottles in their original box on my top shelf so as to keep them out of the sunlight.

I'd say I have quite a solid perfume collection, there isn't really any scent or occasion gaps but that's not to say I don't lust over the prospect of new additions, Escentric Molecule 01 hype anyone?

My favourite perfume atm is the original Stella, I also happen to love the new summer addition but can't really justify spending that much on a new scent. I've used this on and off since I was about 16/17 so it's a long time favourite and I imagine once I finish this up I will repurchase or pop it on a Christmas/Birthday list.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs is my all time favourite, I also have a roller ball version of this which stays put in my handbag for when I do forget perfume i.e. a lot. It's really lovely for daytime or casual evening events. My mother had this perfume first and I often stole quick spritzes until I eventually owned my own bottle.

The perfume I find hardest to wear is Chanel Chance, yes it's one of the lightest Chanel perfumes and I do love it but i just find it super heavy most of the time. It's very classic though so I imagine I'll always be able to wear this scent or lend it to friends when they fancy something a bit different.

Saturday, 25 May 2013

I picked this up the other week from Feel Unique, I really love Benefit box sets but they usually come with a foundation or concealer in a shade far too dark for my skintone so I've had to miss out. This set however comes with everything you need for that perfect bronze glow and no medium shade foundation.

I largely went for this because I was going to buy Hoola bronzer, but didn't want to go for the full size straight off, and I also wanted to give the other products a go, I'm already a big fan of They're Real so I thought I'd treat myself (I later treated myself to a Givenchy Lipstick but the less said about that the better). I've also realised I'm a far bigger Benefit fan than I thought I was.

Now onto the kit itself, yes it looks beautiful l but does that make it worth the money?

Hoola is a perfect bronzer for my pale skin, I'm sure it can be built up if necessary but I only need a light dusting to add warmth to my face. I've also used it to contour lightly, I've not used the brush provided but I've found out with Benefit boxes they aren't great unless in an emergency.

Watts Up highlighter doesn't really suit my skin tone as it's more gold toned- maybe when I have a tan it'll work a lot better but for now I need to blend it loads, which to be fair is very easy and the glow stays on for the whole day.

The creaseless cream eyeshadow and the powder shadow (Bikini-tini and Thanks a Latte) are really nice worn together for a neutral look. In the summer months with a neutral lip I'd add a bright eyeliner with this. Thanks a Latte is a lovely bronzey brown, it kinda feels like it belongs in a Naked Palette so I'd probably mix a couple of the shadows from there with this for a more defined eye.

The surprise love from this kit is the Hoola lipgloss, I'm not a gloss person, at all- my hair gets on my lips, then gloss gets all over my face, and my lips look a bit plastic- okay I largely hate lipgloss but this is a bit different isn't sticky and adds just a touch of shine. The lack of stickiness means the wear time is short so you'd have to top up a lot but you don't need to apply much.

The kit also comes with a Tips and Tricks booklet and a huge mirror, although I probably wouldn't travel with this kit, the large mirror would come in handy. The Tip and Tricks booklet is full of really good basic tips, which would be perfect for beginners.

Overall the kit is really lovely, I'm not sure the amount of product you get is worth the price but I'll fully decide that when i see how long the Hoola lasts. I do love this kit and as I'm not usually a bronzer person this is perfect for me as everything I need is in one package but I'd say if you already have a stash of bronzers this probably won't change your life.

It'd make a fantastic gift for someone though, even if like me that person is yourself.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

I'm a bit of a blush hoarder, I would like to say I have a huge range of cheek colours but I honestly don't, I like pale pink blushers which aid in giving me that 'English Rose' look. I'm really pale so they are the easiest to apply, it's pretty hard to overload.

These three products are ones I find myself going back to again and again, they also happen to be a brilliant mix of textures and finishes.

Illamasqua cream blush is possible the best blusher I've ever used, it's just perfect when applied using a stippling brush. In the pan it looks scary but when applied to the cheeks it's actually very fresh looking and soft.I really want some more Illamasqua cream blushes but as I don't actually need them I'll hold off for now. A very old favourite here too, Ruby and Millie face gloss has been in my makeup bag a long time. The whole line went into administration a few years ago but I stocked up so I wouldn't run out for a while. Sadly I'm on my last one now and I'm looking for a replacement. It barely gives any colour just a subtle dewy glow, the colour can be built up but I find this makes my face too glossy. It's great in the summer as it doesn't feel or look heavy, it just gives a really natural flush. I'm sure going to miss this product so if any of you know a good dupe I'm all earsBenetint is my final favourite, I was always a bit scared of using this but I took the plunge and have never looked back. It's perfect for creating that soft glow under foundation or creating more depth on top of foundation. This is the least dewy of the cheek products and really lasts the whole day, I usually use a light pink blush on top of this, that way there's no need to touch up my makeup throughout the day.

An honourable mention also goes to Benefit Dandelion but I'm out atm and can't really afford the £20+ price tag.

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Filling four Muji drawers to the brim was my first sign I needed to limit my spending, the second tip off was discovering I owned several back ups of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and I'm not even that big a fan.

Whilst I was condensing my collection I found and rediscovered some amazing products I usually overlook. I decided to shop within my stash rather than John Lewis or Boots.

First up is the Philosophy the Present, I much prefer Philosophy's old primer 'Supernatural' but they discontinued it. This one requires a two minute settling time but I find it needs closer to ten, so it's a no go on those rush mornings. When given the time this is an amazing product but I'm usually in a rush to get ready so it's not ideal.

Next is the bareMinerals blusher in pink petal, which I love I just sort of forgot about for the longest time. Now I've rediscovered it and can see it becoming my daily blusher once more. As the name suggests it's a real soft petal pink and is very build-able. Another bareMinerals product is great worn with this blush and that's their lipgloss in ambrosia which is a lovely soft pink and not too sticky or shiny which is perfect for me as I'm not really a gloss person.

I'm also giving Bourjois Healthy Mix another go, I liked it when I first picked this up but I just couldn't see the hype. I only fond the coverage okay and thought it wore off pretty quickly, this actually brings me to another product I've rediscovered the Elf Mineral Concealer which is great to set liquid or cream concealers. It also seems to stop the creasing under the eyes that the healthy mix creates.

Finally I'm currently using benefit's Total Moisture face cream at night, it's too thick for me to use during the day. I'm not really sure of the skin benefits(ha) but it makes my skin nice and soft so it's good for now. I got this in a trial kit a while back and didn't really fall for the skincare range so never bothered with this until now, when I actually need a night cream.

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

I realised I perhaps should venture into a different lip colour when 4 of these products ended up in my handbag but then again if it ain't broke why fix it.

This was once my go to colour in winter opting for a nude/pink in the summer months but I kept finding myself returning to this colour time after time. I usually wear this products pressed into the lips to appear as a matte stain for daytime then gloss it up for evening or special occasions. A few years ago I never would have gone for anything this dark with my super pale complexion but I risked it with this Mac lipstick because I fell in love with the shade and since then the pinky plums have been rolling in.

Is there a lipstick shade you can't get enough of or are the rest of you slightly sane when it comes to lip products?

Monday, 6 May 2013

I've not used Bioderma or any other cleansing waters but when this one popped up in Superdrug I had to have it. B. Pure is quite a new addition to Superdrug and as it is their own brand it's cruelty free, they have a lot of products on offer including a makeup range- I picked up a blush from there today.

First timed I used this I wasn't sure, it kinda stung my eyes and I wasn't sure if it was doing more than a cleansing wipe but I wanted to give it a proper go and not give up after one use. It didn't irritate my skin at all or leave me with any dry patches which tends to be a huge problem with non-wash off cleansers so I stuck with it.

After a week I realised it was taking off all my makeup- just not as well as my Emma Hardie balm does or as relaxing for that matter but it was getting my foundation off better and I don't wake up with panda eyes.

This is good for late night cleanses and only takes about 30 seconds more than a trusty cleansing wipe, so when I'm just too tired or don't feel great I love using this. Obviously I can't compare this to Bioderma but it appears to do the same job but I've heard people say a little goes a long way, this product however I need to use a lot of this to fully get my face clean.

However the reason I love this product is because my skin doesn't love being cleansed with the same cleanser day and night, this is quick and means I can get straight on with applying my makeup so no getting up early just to wash my face. I probably would purchase this product again as it's only £4.99 and cleanses better than a wipe but maybe I'll give Bioderma a go now it's becoming easier to pick up in the UK.

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